Netflix ‘The Good Lawyer’ Plot, Cast, Trailer and Whether You Should Watch It

The Netflix movie ‘The Good Lawyer’ is a French-language legal thriller from director Tristan Séguéla, and Netflix has set its arrival for November 9. It was entered out of competition at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival before heading to the streamer. The original French title is ‘Un bon avocat’, which is worth knowing when you search for it.

For anyone sorting through this month’s Netflix releases, the practical questions are what the story involves, who is in it, what the trailer shows and whether it earns the time. This guide takes each of those in turn using what has been reported so far.

What the Plot of ‘The Good Lawyer’ Sets Up

The story centers on Léonard Landry, a criminal defense lawyer with a cocaine addiction who collapses from an overdose in the middle of a heated courtroom argument. That moment is the point where his double life stops being manageable.

After a stint in rehab, Landry has one week to salvage his career and prepare his trial, and he teams up with Noé, a stubborn intern. The tight deadline gives the film its structure, and it puts a lawyer who is used to defending other people in the position of fighting for himself.

The official synopsis also points to the pressure surrounding that week. It promises legal maneuvering, temptations to relapse and threatening clients, which suggests the case is only one of several problems competing for his attention.

One listing goes further and describes the case as a geopolitical minefield that Landry must navigate while preparing for his own trial. None of the sources reviewed describe how the story ends, so this overview stops at the setup.

The Cast and Crew Behind ‘The Good Lawyer’

Laurent Lafitte stars as the criminal lawyer, with Anthony Bajon alongside him. Mélanie Laurent, Carole Bouquet and Gédéon Ekay are also listed among the performers, which gives the film a deep bench for a project of this size.

Séguéla co-wrote the screenplay with Marcia Romano and Simon Jacquet, and Stéphane Sebag is credited as a writer as well. The film was produced by Iconoclast. It was previously titled ‘Clean’.

This is not the first time the lead actor and director have worked together on the platform. Séguéla reunites with Lafitte after the series about Bernard Tapie, which is known in English as ‘Class Act’ and was directed by Séguéla with Lafitte in the lead.

Amine Bouhafa composed the music and Augustin Barbaroux handled the cinematography.

‘The Good Lawyer’ Trailer and Where to Stream It

Netflix released a trailer ahead of the premiere, presenting Lafitte as a man on a tightrope alongside a supporting cast that includes Bajon, Laurent and Bouquet. It is a useful preview of the film’s pace and tone.

One French outlet noted that the film does not appear to rely on a book, a historical figure or an established title. That makes it an original story rather than an adaptation, so there is no source material to compare it against.

On the practical side, the running time is 114 minutes, and the recommended age is 16 and over. The film is available to stream on Netflix and is not offered for purchase or rental elsewhere.

Searching for the exact title and checking the listing in your country for audio and caption options is the simplest way to find it, since the film is in French.

Should You Watch ‘The Good Lawyer’ on Netflix

The clearest early critical reaction comes from the Venice screening. In its review, The Film Verdict praised Lafitte’s performance across both the manic opening stretch and the quieter, still arrogant version of the character after rehab, and described the film as resting largely on his shoulders. The reviewer also wrote that the actor trades lines well with Bajon, and their banter keeps the emotional stakes alive.

The same review is more measured on the writing. It argues that the script drifts toward Grisham-style territory and that the third act twists come close to straining plausibility, though it adds that this is unlikely to bother the average Netflix viewer. That is a fair summary of what a legal thriller of this kind tends to offer.

Festival coverage was in a similar spirit. One interview piece described the film as intense, with a fast rhythm and a layered narrative that mixes action with psychological complexity. Taken together, the early signals point to a performance driven thriller rather than a procedural.

If you enjoy courtroom stories built around a flawed protagonist and a ticking clock, ‘The Good Lawyer’ looks like a reasonable way to spend under two hours. Viewers who put realism first in a legal drama may find the late twists harder to accept, so it will be interesting to hear whether Lafitte’s performance as Landry carried the final act for you or whether the plot’s last turns tested your patience.